A Shot at Normal by Marisa Reichardt

To vaccinate or not to vaccinate, that is Juniper's nightmare. Her parents are very firmly in the 'not' category. They live a pseudo hippie life and believe vaccinations put chemicals and poisons in your body. Juniper never thought about it much until she gets the measles and ends up in quarantine in the hospital. And her brother and sister get it, too. But it was really a tragic consequence of her interactions with someone else that pushes her to think that maybe her parents are wrong. 

Juniper and her family live in an old Victorian house across the street from the local high school. Juniper is homeschooled and wants to go to school and experience normal teen things (like football games, dances, the cafeteria), but she is forced to have 'kitchen table' school with her younger siblings and her dad as the teacher. 

She doesn't mind the organic food grown in their yard or the lack of television or internet. But at 16, she wants to have a social life with friends and maybe even a boyfriend. Too bad her parents will not listen to her. Getting vaccinated is where she draws the line. She is determined to get her shots even if it means hiring a lawyer. 

Juniper knows it is time to start taking responsibility for her own medical decisions. Yes, things get dark for Juniper, but she has new spots of light to keep her going. It is an interesting and timely subject with no easy answers, but it is worth going through it with Juniper. 

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.